


Rooftop listening

by MoonStar1220



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-19 18:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5976760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonStar1220/pseuds/MoonStar1220
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some nights Adrien transforms into Chat just to feel stronger against the troubling thoughts he has at nights and roams around Paris.  One night Marinette finds him and they have a little heart to heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rooftop listening

She probably didn’t know it, but there were times when he became Chat Noir even when there was no akuma. He had never been found out by his precious Ladybug; he could imagine the scolding he’d get from her; the misuse of their powers. Even knowing this he still slipped out in the dead of night at he’d find a random place that he’d just sit and look over the city or stars. He wasn’t sure why he felt he could handle the dark thoughts out of the safety of his own room and while transformed. Maybe it was because Plagg. Maybe it had to do with the metaphorical -or in this case literal- mask he wore as Chat Noir. 

Sure, he had friends or at least one friend he could vent to if he wanted to, but he never did. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust Nino. He knew the guy would do anything for him even if it meant he became the Bubbler again. He laughed silently at that thought. Nino didn’t remember, but he was happy that Nino felt so strongly. It left an impression. Such an impression that he believed that was why he couldn’t open up all the way to Nino. His best friend would go and do too much for him and he really didn’t want to spend a day beating up his best friend again.

A yelp shattered the silence and nearly knocked him off his balance. “Marinette?” A muffled voice called out.

“I’m fine. A black cat just spooked me is all.” She called back before looking up at him. “What are you doing here, Chat Noir? Is there some akuma around?” She looked around cautiously.

“Just patrolling. You’re all safe though. No akuma tonight.” He smiled putting on his ‘mask’, but it didn’t seem to work as Marionette’s eyes looked at him with disbelief. He panicked and spoke again to change the subject. “What is a lady such as yourself doing up so late?”

“It’s more: up so early seeing as it’s three in the morning.” She corrected before climbing up onto the roof to sit beside him. “I help my Dad some days during school breaks.”

“Some days?” He pried with an obnoxious smile. A smile that dropped as she pulled her knees to her chest and looked out over Paris. She didn’t answer so he turned his eyes to the same horizon.

After what felt like minutes her soft voice came again. “Other days, like this one, I have trouble sleeping.”

Chat couldn’t stop a scoff. “A girl from a loving family like you has trouble getting your beauty rest?” He turned to look at and her and froze. For a second he thought he saw his Ladybug glaring at him instead of Marinette.

“I’d kick you right off if I thought Ladybug didn’t need you to protect Paris.”

He was stunned. It was the first time anyone had said he was worth something as Chat. “Everyone thinks that Ladybug doesn’t need me.” 

“That isn’t true. You’re Ladybug’s partner.” He flinched at her answer as he realized he had spoken that thought out loud. He watched as Marinette’s eyes softened. “Is that the real reason why you’re out here so late?”

“Don’t you mean early?” He corrected teasingly just as she had done to him. “I really do patrol.” He offered, but saw her disbelief again. Again he panicked and looked away. Silence stretched out again. “Hey, how come you aren’t all swooning and stuff? Even without Ladybug people still treat me like a hero, but you’re treating me like a normal person.”

He heard her hum in thought. “That’s because you are a normal person under that mask. At least I hope so.” She said the last part in a teasing tone. “Also you superheroes have a lot on your mind I would think so I think it’s natural that there are times when it gets too much. It’s a lot of stress and people can’t deal with too much stress even if they have superpowers.” Chat was again stunned into silence. A silence that Marinette seemed to think was bad. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

He laughed. “No, not at all, Marinette. I was just thinking that you’re really something.”

“W-what? No, I’m not. Stop being silly.” She was embarrassed, but he could see a bit of truth of how she felt about herself. “I’m nothing, really. You superheros are amazing though. You in particular always seem to have the courage to say and do what you want. That’s an admirable trait.”

“It seems like that, but I’m not. I can’t even tell Ladybug that I love her.”

Marinette chuckled. “I’m sure your feelings get across anyway. Not at all like me with the person I like. I can’t even admit that I lo… lo… you get the idea.” Her cheeks were red and her lips pursed in a pout. It made him laugh.

“So what’s this guy you love like? Is he as dazzling as me?”

“He is dazzling, but he’s not at all like you.” She paused with a scrunched up face. “Well, that’s a bit mean. He’s not like you, but he’s kind like you.” Chat listened waiting for her to go on. He didn’t think that Marionette liked anyone since she couldn’t seem to get a sentence out when he was Adrien. “He’s really popular and everyone likes him, but for most people it seems like it’s superficial. I think he realizes that too so he just plays nice and deals with it. I can see how much he’s acting and it really hurts. I can see how kind he is and how much he wants to connect with people outside of his popularity.”

“Then why don’t you befriend the guy?”

“I try to, but…” She sighed and laid back to look at the stars. “I can’t speak around him. I get these butterflies in my throat and my head gets all airy that I can’t even think. I don’t want him to think I’m being superficial, but when I end up babbling in nervousness around him I know I come off as that way. I’ve even tried telling him my feelings through a poem, but I forgot to sign it. It hasn’t been the first time either.” She groaned in frustration.

He smiled. As much as he hated seeing people frustrated like this it was new for him to see it from Marinette. He always learned so much about her as Chat. “You’ve got it bad.” He laughed.

“Sure, laugh at the completely normal problems of a teenager.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean anything bad about it.” He paused. “Oh, I know. Tell me the guy’s name and I’ll tell him for you.”

Silence fell again. “As much as I’d like to take you up on your offer I’m refusing. This is something I need to do. If I can’t even speak to him then what good would a relationship be?”

“Yeah, you’re right. You just gotta tell him.”

“Easy for you to say.” She huffed before another silence fell. “Hey, Chat? Earlier… you seemed really bitter about me having a ‘loving family’ as you put it. Do you have family problems?”

He panicked again. “I am a stray. A cat doesn’t need a family when he’s got the roofs of Paris.”

Marinette stayed quiet before looking at him with those soft eyes. “I wasn’t talking to the cat. I was talking to the person under the mask.” He looked at her credulously. “Don’t give me that. As I said earlier you superheroes have a lot of problems. I may not be able to help, but I can be someone to talk to. It’s what I can do to repay all your protection. It’s what I can do for another person.”

“You really are something…” He murmured under his breath knowing that she’d be able to hear it. She didn’t say anything this time. “The person underneath this mask… it someone who fears depending on people since the one person he looks up to is never there for him. He can’t talk to people easily and hides himself with another mask. He deludes himself into thinking that if he just does what he asks he’ll get the attention he wants.”

Marinette hummed. “I think I understand you a bit better now. I really can’t help you since you need to figure out the solution yourself. However, now I’ll ask the cat: what do you fear?”

“Losing Ladybug.” He spoke without thinking. It really was his greatest fear. “Ladybug… she’s the only one I’ve been able to depend on. I don’t know what I’d do if she ended up hating me or if I lost her in battle.”

“I’m sure another Ladybug would pop up.”

“But she wouldn’t be My Ladybug. Sure I could probably fight with her, but it wouldn’t be the same.”

Silence fell again before Marinette sighed again and looked up at him with a smile. “And you said I had it bad.” He laughed at that and she joined with him. Their laughter faded away leaving a comfortable silence. “Hey, Marinette? Do you think, as Chat, I could rely on you a bit? The person behind the mask isn’t ready, but as Chat could I come by to talk with you some nights or something?”

“As long as you don’t forget your akuma duties.” 

“Of course not! I could never allow my Bugaboo to go off fighting on the front lines by herself.” He thought he saw Marionette flinch at the nickname he gave Ladybug, but dismissed it. He stood up and stretched. “Well then, Lady Marinette, until next time we meet.” He bowed before bounding off. He’d need to be back in bed before his father’s assistant came to wake him up. Of course he didn’t miss Marionette’s farewell that sounded rather familiar.

“Bye bye little kitty."

**Author's Note:**

> I have read only one ML fic so this idea is probably nothing new, but it's been in my head for a while.


End file.
